Feel Your Autumn Breeze
by MarmaladeDreams
Summary: It was just a normal week and the month of October was coming to a close , but Lacey and Danny were just beginning to open up to each other. Based on the song " Feel Your Breeze " by V6 * Note there are many music and pop culture references in this story hope u enjoy it *
1. Chapter 1 : Clumsy

It was a breezy October evening and Lacey Porter could hear her boots crunching the leaves on the ground , her beautiful hair blew as she waited for her boyfriend to walk her home . Lacey looked at her phone and saw that he was about 15 minutes late , the school grounds were pretty much deserted at this hour and soccer practice had long been over " Archie where are you ? " she said to herself , daylight savings time had already began and the sky was becoming somewhat purple and it was getting a bit chilly outside " Lacey ? " the last voice she wanted to hear called her name and she sucked her teeth " Lacey why are you standing out here all by yourself ? the sun is gonna go down soon " he said approaching her as she crossed her arms and kept her back to him " I'm waiting for Archie …. have you seen him ? " Danny raises one eyebrow " Ummmm …. he left a long time ago with Scott and the boys " Lacey wasn't sure if Danny was trying to start trouble or if he was actually being honest so she faced Danny " Then why are you the only one still here ? " she asked in annoyance " Well number one I wasn't invited and number two I was having a meeting with the coach " he shrugs as Lacey just rolls her eyes and taps her toes " You haven't been in contact with him ? " Danny runs his fingers through his hair " Lacey just shakes her head at him wondering why he is going the manipulitive route " I don't know why I asked you anything " she whips her hair and storms away from him in displeasure.

Danny was pretty much fed up with her avoiding him so he went after her this time " Wait , what did I do this time ? " he follows " Oh come on really ? " he dashes infront of her " Excuse me Danny " she asks impatiently as he continues to walk backwards " You are excused princess ! " he shrugs Lacey was tired of him trying to ease his way back into her life and she was also hurt at the possibility of Archie standing her up " Danny you need to watch where you are going or you are gonna …. " before Lacey could complete her sentence Danny felt the back of his sneaker hit a rock " Whoa... Lace … " his body fell backwards into the ground and he landed pretty hard on his back " Danny " Lacey wasted no time running to Danny's aid " Ouch … that was unpleasant " he moaned " Oh my god " Lacey gently lifted his head rested it on her legs " Are you okay ? " she said caressing his face in concern , Danny was in a bit of pain from the fall but feeling Lacey's soft hands gracing his face was the stuff dreams were made of " Is this a dream ? am I alive ? " he joked looking up at Lacey , he saw the fear and concern in her face so even though he wanted to savor the moment he couldn't bear seeing her frightened " I'm just kidding Lace " he giggles as he places on hand on her wrist " Are you sure ? " she leans in to make direct eye contact with him " Can you see me ? " she asked as he as Danny widens his eyes to admire Lacey's beauty , their faces were inches apart and he could feel her breath warm his flesh , he wanted to kiss her so badly and assure her that everything was okay but he knew he couldn't he instead used this as an opportunity to try and regain her trust " Of course Lace " he smiles " You have two eyeballs , a nose , and a mouth " he jokes as she takes a sigh of relief " Oh come on you know that was funny , you wanna laugh " he grins as she releases a chuckle " Come on , I'll help you up " Danny puts just enough pressure on her to raise his upper body " I'm good now " he touches her shoulder " I'll take it from her Lace " he winks " Fine macho man " she smiles as she stands up and he soon follows.

Lacey was relieved that Danny was okay , it was a small fall but she was rather paranoid about these things and she did feel bad for being so rude to Danny " You got a little dirty " she says brushing the leaf particles and dirt speckles off of his shirt " Please don't " he grabs her had " One second " Danny reaches for the hand sanitizer in his pocket and pours a bit into Lacey's palm " Danny … " Lacey protests but he insists " What would Archie say if the princess of Green Grove had socio dirt on her hands ? " he stabs her with his eyes and she just gulps " I told you that I didn't like that name , I'm not a …. " " Sure you are Lace … and I mean that in a good way " Lacey rubs the purell into her hands in a very uncomfortable way when she notices Danny spit blood from his mouth " Danny ? " she asks " It's all good , I think I bit my tongue during that fall " he wipes his mouth " No big deal " they both look around and notice it had gotten alot darker outside " Wow it's almost 5 pm " Lacey says " I should go … " she looks up at Danny nodding his head " Yeah .. but you should check your phone , maybe Archie texted you and you guys can meet half way so you don't have to go home alone " Lacey pulls out her phone " You are right , but I can handle myself you know and besides I have my car " her grin disappears when she notices no new messages , she wonders why Archie didn't bother to contact her " Hey … I'm sorry he didn't …. " " It's fine Danny … he probably just got occupied " she shrugged trying to hide her disappointment from Danny who could see right through her " I'm gonna go now … if you want a ride I can drop you off … it's the least I could do for making you fall over " she nods " But what would they say if the princess was seen riding around with the socio ? " he responds and Lacey just shrugs " Do you want a ride or not ? I am sure your back is a bit sore " Danny didn't feel right accepting her offer but he knew this would be the perfect opportunity to try and rekindle their relationship " Let's roll " Lacey makes her way off of the grounds and Danny follows behind her.


	2. Memory Lane Sorta

Chapter 2

Danny stares towards his passenger side window just to see Lacey's reflection in the mirror , the whole ride was pretty awkward until they took notice of all of the Halloween decorations " I almost forgot Halloween was two days away " Danny said admiring the festive houses " Really ? you didn't know about the school coming up ? " she asks " Nope ! guess I've just been really distracted " Lacey sighs " Remember that one year me you and Jo dressed as Huey , Duey , and Louie and then ran down the block singing the Ducktales theme song ? " Lacey tried not to smile and embrace the nostalgia but she couldn't help herself " Yeah , it was interesting how we both fought over who would be Webby but then you suggest we all just …... be in this together " she smiles happily at Danny , something he had wanted her to do for weeks " Yeah … great times … " she smiled back playing with his hair " So are you going to the dance this year ? " Lacey pouts her lips " I have to go , I am an event organizer " " You don't sound too pleased " " Well I just don't feel like it … Halloween is a bit scary and with all of the Regina drama … I don't …. " Lacey spoke without thinking about Danny sitting right next to her " I've always been a bit frightened by Halloween anyway … " Danny just continues looking forward " So did you find a costume yet ? "

" I did .. but it's a surprise , not even Archie knows " she smiles " So you will see my costume at the dance on Friday " she looks to him and smiles " Lace …. wait …. are you saying that I can attend the dance ? … just like that ? won't people think badly of the socio ? " he teases " It's a free country " she responds as she pulls up infront of his home " Thanks Lacey " he unbuckles his seatbelt and looks to Lacey " Thanks for the ride Lace " he places his hand on her shoulder " Don't worry about it …. also you may wanna do something about that injury on your tongue " she reminds him " Will do Lace , see ya around " he nods and gets out of the car.

Danny enters the home calling for Karen but it appears she is not home " Guess it's just me myself and I " he yawns as he drops his books to the ground and heads straight for his bedroom.

As Danny makes his way up the flight of stairs his ringtone for Jo sets off " Hey Jo what's up " he answers opening up his bedroom door " Hey Danny , I was just calling to remind you about the Halloween bash on Friday … do you have a costume already ? " Jo asked " Yeah , I didn't forget about that … but yeah I should pick up a costume shouldn't I ? " " What are you waiting for ? I'm picking up mine after school tommorrow , we can find you something then " " Sounds like fun … if worst comes to worst I can just make something .. those are the best costumes you know … just like the time me you and Lace were Huey Duey and Louie " Jo rolls her eyes into her head " Yeah because we both wanted to be Webby and then you made us sing something along the lines of kumbaya …. that was alot of fun …. you know singing Ducktales throughout the neighborhood " she smiles " Yeah …. it would be cool if we could do that again you know " Danny hints " Danny you know Lacey is not having it …. listen I gotta meet with Tyler I just wanted to remind you that's all …. I'll see you soon " " Peace in the middle east Jo " he ends the call and then plops on to his bed to ponder about his moment with Lacey today , she wanted nothing to do with him and then after that fall she appeared to a totally different person …. or that person was always deep down inside. Danny referred to Lacey as the princess of Green Grove for a reason , she carries herself well , highly respected and admired, and of course she is beautiful. Danny felt their connection and more than anything this afternoon , he wanted Lacey to break down her walls and let him inside but he knew it would take time , he just stared at the ceiling thinking about her and he may or may not have been trying to come up with a strategy to win her heart.


	3. One Jump Ahead

***I have a popular inside joke in this chapter , I wonder how many people will catch it ^_^***

It was Thursday afternoon , Danny , Jo , and Tyler made their way to the mall to find good costumes " I'm feeling very Disney …. do you think anybody will be dressed as Ariel ? " Jo asks Tyler " Oh my god look it's the Kiss The Girl outfit Tyler " Jo cheers " and they even have a Prince Eric costume " Danny picks up the package shaking it at Tyler " I'm just sayin man " " Oh you gonna turn on me too Danny ? " Tyler jokes " Please hun ? " Jo pouts " Who can resist that face though ? " Tyler pecks Jo on the lips " You win " " Come on man you didn't even stand a chance " Danny laughs and then suddenly he spots Lacey from across the floor embracing Archie any happiness he had has just been eliminated due to the sight of those two together. " Hey look it's Lacey and Archie " Danny says " Oh they had last minute costumes too " Jo responds " You would think the king and queen would have been prepared earlier .. guess not " Jo rests her head on Tyler's shoulder as Danny stares in disguist " Well atleast they look happy ….. we saw them pick up their costumes earlier and I must admit that Lacey is going to make a great Princess Jasmine " Danny looks to Jo staring at her ex best friend in in admiration , he wanted to mention the Disney Princess connection but he enjoyed Jo praising Lacey too much to ruin it , he felt he could use that little flame to light the firecracker " Yeah you may wanna keep that under wraps Jo " Danny grins with his hands in his pocket " From what I heard Lacey wanted her costume to be a surprise so keep it on the low " Jo looks to Danny raising her brow " Oh really ? well that won't be hard trust me … but it's weird that Archie is going as Dracula … but everybody can't pull off the couple thing like me and Tyler " she teases " So are you gonna get anything Danny ? " Jo asks " Nah... I will be homemade ….. hey it's the socio thing to do right ? add some flare to the party … although this White Power Ranger costume looks pretty wicked " he admires the package and then stares back at Lacey and Archie , he wonders why she appears to be so forgiving after he stood her up the other day .

Lacey and Archie hold hands as they ride down the mall escalator " I really wished you would have got that Aladdin costume Archie , we could have been so adorable " she smiles " Well I wish you would have been dracula's bride babe , oh well he can still take a bite out of princess Jasmine " Archie teases kissing her cheek " I suppose " she grins " It's going to be a fantastic night babe , just you wait and see " he puts his arm around her to bring her closer to him " I can't wait to see you in that costume " Lacey responds with a half smile , she felt a bit of discomfort one Archie opened his mouth and if she didn't know any better he had other plans for them once the party was over " So did Scott and Sarita pick out their costumes ? " Lacey quickly changed the subject " Don't know but there go Bonnie and Clyde sitting at the food court " Archie points to Sarita and Scott sitting at the table awaiting their friends " Hey guys , did you find anything ? " Lacey asks pulling up a chair " Indeed ! Scott why don't you show them your costume " Sarita elbows him in excitment " You guys will get a kick out of this one " Scott laughs sipping his drink before digging into his bag " One second " Scott reaches into his bag and pulls out his costume package " Check this out " he places it on the table " Fitting don't you think ? " He points to the photo inside of the plastic that displayed his Gaston from Beauty and The Beast costume " Well then , nobody knows how to pick out a good Halloween costume like Gaston …. I mean Scott " Lacey jokes " You know it " he nods " It's my turn " Sarita says in excitement as she reveals her Bon Temps waitress costume " Tada ! " Lacey was surprised at Sarita's costume selection , she was expecting something more prissy " Nice ! " Lacey smiles awkwardly " I decided to try something different this time " she smiles proudly while playing in her hair " Only thing that could ruin the mood tommorrow is if that socio shows up , which you know he will " Sarita rolls her eyes placing her costume back in her bag " Not looking forward to that at all " Archie makes eye contact with Lacey who did not feel like discussing Danny nor did she want to hear the horrible names they often called him " … Who really cares ? " Lacey asks " You guys entertain him way too much " Lacey leans back in her chair and crosses her arms " Babe do you really think it's okay for a murder to be at a school function ? " he asks " This could end up like one of those 80s horror flicks we often mock , he can't be trusted " Lacey just shakes her head " I don't think he would be that stupid to try and hurt somebody inside of the school , also why are you guys are looking at me as if it's my choice ? That is Mr. Tang's decision " Archie stares at Lacey in a bit of confusion " Why do you defend him so much ? " Sarita asks in suspicion , Lacey looks to Archie who appears to be developing a frown " Yeah Lacey , why don't you answer Sarita " Lacey just gulped with a bit of fear in her heart , Archie's jealousy sometimes frightened her " I'm not defending anybody … I just don't want my night ruined okay ? I put so much work into this event and I just want everything to be perfect okay ? " she takes a deep breath and turns back to Archie who does not appear to be convinced by her words " Archie …. please just ignore him … no fighting " she nods her head " Sure " Archie grins " You promise me ? " she takes his hand and pleades with her eyes " I promise babe " he places a kiss on her lips " Thanks " she nods.

It was nearing 6:30 and the sun was going out with a beautiful bang as Danny headed home . Danny held his belt buckles and his hair was free , he saw a couple of youngesters running around with nice sized pumpkins and it brought him joy and the memories of him with his two amigos Lacey and Jo , he smiled , shook his head and continued on his way. Danny turned the corner to make his destination when he saw very frustrated Karen speaking with Chief Kyle Masterson , he immediatley went over to them " Mother ? " he asked in deep concerned and then he looked to Chief Masterson " Sir I am sorry to interrupt but what is ….. " " It's fine Danny " Kyle responded nodding his head , and for some reason he appeared to be a bit sympathetic which blew Danny's mind until he looked up and saw something truly awful and disturbing " Wow …. " his eyes widened as he learned that the outside his home had been egged and filled with toilet paper " Danny it's fine , we will get to the bottom of this " Karen said shaking her head " Indeed we will , I'm so sorry about this but you can guarantee the culprits will be caught " Kyle places his hand on her shoulder " In the meantime get some rest , and Danny you should head inside as well " Danny turned to the chief and nodded his head " Will do sir , come on mother " he placed his arm around Karen and walked her the porch as Kyle went on his way.

Karen and Danny sat at the table and had a mother and son tea session to calm the nerves " Mother I am sorry this happened " he taps his mug " You know they could have atleast used Charmins paper instead of that .. other crap , it didn't even look spooky hanging from the trees " he jokes as Karen just looks to him and sucks her teeth " I'm glad you can joke about it " she sips her tea " I'm sorry … " he plays with his tea bag " This is unacceptable and I won't stand for this foolishness " she runs her hands through her hair " But we can't do much about it at the moment …. so Danny are you going to the school dance tommorrow ? " she asks " That's the plan " he leans back in his chair " Should be fun " Karen smiles " I'm glad honey , I just hope you picked out an appropriate costume " Danny grins and pushes his tea mug aside " I think you will like it mother and don't worry it's very pleasant " " Is that so ? " she says happily " I wonder if it fits your character " she teases " I guess you could say that " he shrugs " But I think you will find it adorable " he smiles back at his mother who is enjoying this fun moment with her son ,Karen could not recall a moment like this since Danny got out of juvenile hall.


	4. Love , Pranks, and Apples

***Okay I added another inside joke inside and even a hint of what Danny's costume is going to be ^_^ , also I got a few nice messages thank you! I don't write that often so I kinda suck but I am glad a few folks enjoy it***

It was Halloween morning in the Green Grove community , you could practically smell the candy corn and pumpkin in the air. Lacey waiting outside of the school anxiously for Archie and sure enough there he was grabbing her from behind " Hey baby " " Archie " she shrieked " You scared the crap out of me " she laughed as she leaned into him " It's Halloween babe what did you expect ? " he kissed the side of her face " You smell so good " he continued to trail her with light kisses until he reached her neck " What are you trying to say ? " she giggled as he tickled her neck with kisses " I'm saying I wanna taste you " he took a bite out of her neck and it caused her a tiny bit of pain " Ouch Archie " she moaned loosening up a bite " Oh I'm sorry babe " he released her " I just couldn't wait until tonight when I turn into Dracula " he imitated the typical voice " Yeah well you are gonna have to behave yourself until the party " she held her kneck as she slapped him on the arm " We should get inside " she reached out for Archie's hand " Yeah the bell will ring soon , by the way me and the boys have a little game planned for later … you up for it ? " he grabbed her hand and pulled her along " It depend , I hope it doesn't involve harassing Danny … I told you guys no .. " annoyed at the mentioned of Danny , Archie quickly cut Lacey off " Relax " he said with a bit of attitude " No one is paying attention to that freak , besides what we have involved I think you will enjoy it … it's a surprise " he winked and Lacey responded with an uneasy smile as they made their way inside of the school.

Danny , Jo , and Tyler were already indoors conversing about what happened yesterday " That is just sickening , I can't believe people still act so stupid " Jo said " It's fine " Danny stretched a bit " But my mom was really stressed about it , I can't say I blame her for being afraid " " Well my dad is still trying to catch the losers that did this " she places her hand on his shoulder " Yeah man I am sorry they did this to you , it's gotta suck " he shakes his head as Rico approaches them " Hey folks " he smiles " Rico what's happening " Danny waves " Not much guys and gal , are you all ready for this evening ? " he says with glee " Yeah , who are you going as ? " Jo asks " Oh me ? I am going to dress as Woody from Toy Story " " Wow ! that's impressive , everybody appears to be in the Disney spirit " Tyler says " Really ? " Rico asks " So who did you guys … " " Ariel and Prince Eric " Jo crushes Rico's dreams " Oh …. that's adorable " he half smiles " I'm sure you two are gonna look great " he nods " Well I am gonna get going … and by the way Woody is Pixar/Disney " he raises an eyebrow and salutes Tyler before taking off " Poor guy " Danny runs his hands through his mane as Jo watches him walk off feeling a bit guilty , she knew his feelings were hurt " Well , we better head to class " Jo closes her locker and the three head to first period.

Meanwhile Lacey and Sarita were in the gymnasium getting everything situated for the big evening " Very spooky so far , I like it " Sarita smiled admiring the early decorations " Yeah , it's gonna be a great night " she agreed " Hey Sarita …. I probably shouldn't ask you this but did Scott mentioned a game ? " Lacey picked up a balloon and walked towards the helium tank as Sarita followed " Yeah … they mentioned something fun for later … why do you ask ? " Lacey set up the balloon to be filled with air " Well … I just need to be sure that they are not trying any pranks tonight , I really just want tonight to be perfect " Sarita tilts her head and gives Lacey the meanest mug you could imagine " This doesn't have anything to do with what happened to that Socio last night does it ? Do you think the guys were involved ? " she asks " What ? " Lacey was a bit confused and Sarita took notice of Lacey's reaction " What happened to Danny ? " she released the balloon " What are you talking about ? " Sarita rolled her eyes in disgust , she couldn't understand why Lacey was so concerned about a convicted murder " Oh you didn't hear ? some pranksters decorated the outside of his home with eggs and toilet paper " she let out a giggle which put Lacey off " Why would somebody do that ? it's terrible... " " Why do you care ? he's a freak what did you think would happen ? " Lacey shook her head " I know but … " " Lacey get a grip okay " Sarita snaps " It doesn't matter anymore , that socio is a non factor and for the record no the boys were not involved " Lacey was truly disguisted by Sarita's lack of empathy but she could not let it be known " I'm glad …. I didn't believe that to be true anyway " she gulps as she goes back to the helium tank and proceeds to blow air into the balloon as Sarita continues to grill her.

The day was nearing completion and Danny walked the empty hallway playing with shiny red apple hoping to sneak out of school a little bit early when he heard some footsteps approaching , he didn't think it was anyone important considering the person was obviously wearing heels so it had to be a fellow student " Danny " the music went straight to his ears , he heard Lacey call out his name and he turned around faster than Michael Jackson in during one of his Man In The Mirror performances " Lace ? " Lacey approached him as quickly as she could " Hey " he leaned up against one of the lockers as she took a breathe " What's on your mind ? " he saw the sadness in Lacey's eyes and all he wanted to do was scoop her up and comfort her " You okay ? " she bit her lip and her eyes wandered for a bit " Yes , listen … I heard about what happened yesterday … I am so sorry " she apologized with a lumpy throat , she knew better than to cry infront of Danny especially out in the open , sure she knew to keep her distance from him but deep down she felt horrible about the bullying Danny was dealing with " Why are you apologizing ? " Danny smiled " Let's be honest , I was asking for it " he shrugged " No Danny , that's not right " she shook her head " What those people did was cruel … you know I how I feel about you … but I wouldn't wish something like this on anybody , I'm really sorry " she put her hair behind her hair and nodded as Danny just stared deeply into her eyes and admired her , she was the polaroid of perfection in his eyes " Thanks , it means alot " Danny got off the locker so that he could stand up straight and move in closer to Lacey " The authorities are handling it " he smiled " Good " she smiled in return " I gotta get back to the gym " she backed up and waved " See ya later " Lacey walked off and halfway through down the hall Danny called out to her " Lace " she turned around wondering what he possibly could have wanted " Catch " he threw her the apple he had been planning to eat , he felt like she may have needed it more after working hard all day on the party and sure enough she caught it and briefly examined it " What is this for ? " she asked in all types of confusion " You may want it at some point in the day and who knows maybe it will make a nice prop ? " Danny waved and headed out as Lacey stood in the hallway holding on to the ripe and shiny apple as she watched Danny exit the school and wondered what his deal was . The bell rang and woke Lacey up out of her slight daze , as the hallways began to crowd Lacey decided to find her way back to the gym to finish up and get ready for the evening festivities.


	5. Halloween Town

Chief Master is enjoying a nice pound cake when Eddie walks into the office " Hello Kyle " he says holding his hat " Eddie ? what's on your mind ? " he wipes his mouth and then sips his coffee " Just wanted to let you know that there was a development in the Desai egg bombing incident " Kyle leans back in his chair and raises an eyebrow " Oh ? " " Yeah , there had actually been a number of these incidents throughout the neighborhood , it's Halloween afterall … come to find out some some middle school riff raffs were behind those … so it's very possible that they could have attack the Desai residents … they are in questioning and we are awaiting the arrival of their parents " Kyle shoves his meal aside " Good work , I will see what that is all about in a just a bit " he nods " Thanks Eddie " " No problem sir " Eddie smiles and leaves the room. Kyle tapped his hands on the desk and looked back at his half bitten pastry , he thought about the Halloween party at school and what could possibly happen , if Danny showed up he knew trouble was likely to follow but then again Fall Fest was not so bad. Kyle was worried about what could unleash but he also wanted to patch things up with Jo and Tess and having the authorities present would push Jo away even further , so he decided to put his trust in the school staff and in his daughter.

Karen was enjoying her evening glass of wine when Danny called out " Mother ? are you ready to see me in my Halloween costume ? " he says playfully . Karen giggled and placed her glass on the table " One second honey " she stood up joyfully and headed to the staircase " Okay , I'm ready " she smiled " Okay here I come " Danny headed down the stairs in his first generation White Power Ranger costume , he held the helmet in his hand and allowed his luscious locks to flow " Wow " Karen was overwhelmed by how goofy and handsome Danny had looked , the white really made his beautiful complexion more radiant , he almost looked like a space prince " What do you think mother ? I know Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is a little before my time but I can appreciate it , that Tommy Oliver had a great head of hair you know " he joked as Karen just admired her handsome son " Yeah well you have a better head of hair " she playfully shook his hair " You look so handsome " she smiled " You should go while it's still light outside " " You are probably right " he laughed " But I just remember I left my change of clothing upstairs " he handed Karen his helmet " do you mind holding this while I run up ? " " Ummm sure ? but why on earth do you need a change of clothing ? " she asked in suspicion " Just incase this one gets too hot and sweaty … on and can you just throw an apple inside of the helmet for me , thanks mom " Karen was very much on the confused side but she did what Danny asked.

Halloween night was just beginning in the small town of Green Grove , as the older students made their way to the school celebration the smaller kids ran around in their costumes for some trick or treating. Jo and Tyler held hands as they headed to the school " Hey where is Phoebe ? " she asked " She's coming behind us , she's gonna be a red head just like you " he pinched her cheek " Whoa are you kidding me ? " Tyler laughed as Danny approached them " Throwback man wow " " Wow Danny , I thought you were making your own costume " Jo laughed " But you look so cool " " Thanks guys … oh and I have that other costume in here … just incase I get uncomfortable in this one " he smiled " But look at Prince Eric and Ariel " he placed his hand on his hip and checked them out " Oh stop " Jo blushed as she leaned into Tyler " You guys look so precious " Danny had some envy in his tone " Well are we ready to party ? " Tyler asked " Let's do it " Danny lead the way and the trio went off.

Some of the students socialized outside of the school as Lacey arrived as Princess Jasmine , she just had her hair up in a high ponytail with her bangs to the side. Laceys' appearance caused a few heads to turn and she felt a bit uncomfortable , she just looked around for her friends and pulled out her phone to try and contact Archie when suddenly Phoebe creeped up behind her " Oh my god Lacey " Phoebe said with that joker smile of hers " You truly look magical " " Thank you Phoebe , and you make an adorable Jesse " Lacey responds " Thanks partner " Phoebe makes the handgun gesture " Tyler suggested I wear this for some reason " she shrugged " He is so weird …. and speaking of " Phoebe points to Tyler , Jo , and Danny " Oh my god Danny is dressed as a Power Ranger " Phoebe says in excitement as the trio approaches , Danny and Lacey lock eyes instantly " Hey party people " Tyler shouts as Danny shamelessly focuses on Lacey " Hi guys " Lacey loses their little stare contest and looks to Jo " Wow , Jo and Tyler you two really look cute " she smiled trying not to get sucked into Danny again " Thank you , and you really look great too " Jo nods as " I think Jo took the words out of my mouth " Danny continued to admire Lacey's beauty , she was afraid to look at him but she couldn't be rude " Thank you Danny " she couldn't get over how handsome and heroic he looked in his costume " Your costume is pretty awesome by the way " Phoebe took notice of the flirtacious exchange despite the fact that Lacey tried to hide it , her resistance gave it away " Well I don't know about you guys but I am gonna go parrttyyy , last one there is a rotten egg " she trails off in excitement as Jo and Tyler follow , Lacey just laughs at Phoebe's energetic attitude " See you guys inside " she smiles and notices Danny still standing there " Did you come here alone ? " Danny asked " No , Archie and the others should be here shortly " " Good ….. " Danny smiled with his eyes still set on Lacey " But you know … just incase Archie stands you up again , you can feel free to hang out with us " Lacey couldn't even roll her eyes at Danny because it's not like he was wrong about Archie " Thanks , but I'm sure they will show up " " Okay … by the way I hope I can tell you something without getting slapped across the face " Danny rubs his head " It depends on what it is …. " Lacey faced him and crossed her arms " I just wanna say that you really look beautiful tonight … and I hope that no one would be foolishness enough to stand you up Lace … I mean that " Danny said his piece and caught Lacey off guard with his words because he came off truly genuine " I …. Danny … " she felt as if he was sending a cryptic message to her " I will see you inside " he shoots her the peace sign and then heads inside leaving Lacey to watch him in with a bit a guilt and confusion in her heart.


	6. Pretty Brown Eyes

The festivities have officially begun and students of Green Grove wasted no time enjoying themselves " These props and decorations are pretty impressive " Danny plays with one of the hanging webs " Very spooky " Tyler shakes his head while massaging Jo's shoulders " Yeah Lacey did a great job putting this all together " Jo agreed and her smile appeared to be genuine , Danny took notice " She really did " his tone softened as he looked around the gymnasium " Hey you guys I'll be right back I need to go and put this bag in my locker …. this helmet too " " Okay but don't get adbucted by the boogie man " Jo teases " I think I can take him " Danny winks and walks off to go and put his belongings away when he spots Rico making his entrance all by his lonesome self , he looked down in the dumps so Danny decided to greet him " Well well if it isn't the rooteness tooteness cowboy in the wild wild wild west " Danny grins " Hey " Rico half smiles , he didn't really feel like talking to Danny " You're costume is pretty impressive too ….. vintage to some extent " Danny looks down at the armored vest and touches the centered medallion " Thanks man , I figured I already had the hair like Tommy so why not just throw on the costume ? " he shares a laugh with Rico " Nice thinking …. I'm gonna see what's happening so I'll see you around " he pats Danny on the shoulder " Enjoy yourself Rico " Danny watches him make his way through crowd before continuing his small journey to his locker .

It was already an hour into the party and Archie was still nowhere to be found , Lacey was beginning to worry because she could not even get in contact with or anyone else in their inner circle that included Sarita who should have been there with her from the beginning since she helped organize the event. " Ms. Porter " Principal Tang's voice alerted her " Oh , Principal Tang how are you " she smiled catching her breath " I am well , sorry for frightening you " he laughed " I just wanted to let you know that you and your team did a great job and everything appears to be going well , you should be proud " " Thank you Mr. Tang , it means alot " she nodded " Enjoy the rest of the night dear " he responded before walking off . Lacey was leaning in the embarrassment zone as she watched everybody else mingle while she was still waiting for Archie so that she could dance with him , all she wanted was to be with her boyfriend and enjoy the night , it was bad enough Archie refused to attend Fall Fest led to her attending alone, she had become so emotional worrying that he was going to stand her up like he did a couple of days ago.

Danny closed his locker after placing his items inside , the hallway was empty and quiet " Very Freddie Krueger … ish " he joked to himself when suddenly he saw a pale blue figure at the end of the hallway " Lace ? " he whispered to himself as he went to seek her , she could hear footsteps behind her so she turned around to the suprise " Danny ? " " Lacey , what are you doing out here ? " he asked with a slight authoritative tone , Danny already knew that Archie once again stood her up " It was really crowded inside and I just needed to step out for a moment " she held on to the rail of the staircase " What are you doing here ? " Danny looked into her eyes which appeared to be slightly swollen and red " Lacey , were you crying ? " he dodges the question to express his concern for Lacey " No … " she did not want to engage in this conversation with Danny but she also knew that there was no point in trying to lie to him yet she gave it a shot " No I wasn't crying " she breaks eye contact " I have a bit of a headache that's all " Danny steps back , he doesn't believe anything she is saying but he understands what she is trying to do so he backs off " I'm sorry ….. I have something you can take if you need it " he offers " I'll will be okay , thanks Danny " she nods " Well how are you supposed to have fun with a headache ? " he crosses his arms , he was sick and tired of Lacey putting up Archie's nonsense and was interested in her next answer " I made it through this much right ? I will be okay " " Maybe you should go home and lay your head down , you look really tired " Lacey knew what Danny was trying to do and she wanted him to get lost , ever since they were children she hated when he was able to get her to admit things she didn't want to " I have to stick around , besides Archie isn't here yet " she bit her lip nervously as Danny just snickered " What's so funny ? " Lacey asked " Nothing , I just can't believe that Archie is showing up fashionably late ….. you know Aladdin would never leave Jasmine waiting … I'm just saying " Danny raised his hands and shrugged and Lacey rolled her eyes " Did you come here to rub this in my face ? Archie will be here soon so you can stop being a smart ass Danny " Lacey storms past him " I'm sorry Lace " he goes after her " That was really out of line on my end " Lacey pauses as he admits his fault " That was really uncool of me and I am truly sorry " he walks up behind her and places his hand on her exposed shoulder " I shouldn't pretend like I know about you and Archie's relationship , but I don't want to see you get hurt " Lacey releases a sigh and turns to Danny " You didn't seem to care when you did what you did 5 years ago … why the change Danny ? " Lacey tries everything in her power to fight back her tears " Why do my feelings matter to you all of a sudden ? " Danny was not prepared for those words , Lacey was his world but he did not know how to respond to such a question from the person he was madly in love with " … That's not fair " he gulped as he tried to guilt trip her , Lacey just shook her head " I knew you would say something like that …. I appreciate you checking on me but I really don't need this " Lacey tries to walk off but Danny grabs her wrist " Lacey don't go … " he begs " Please …. " she looks up into his powerful dark eyes causing hers to widen , she felt her body warm up as he held her tiny wrist in his hands and pulled her closer to him " Danny …. " she whispers biting her bottom lip and suddenly he just grabs her by her small waste and then embraces her " I'm sorry " he whispers in her ear and continued to hold her , Lacey was caught off guard by his strength but she felt so safe in his strong arms " It's okay " she loosened up her body , rested her head on his chest and clinged closer to him.


	7. Friend Like Me

**Okay this chapter is kinda big on the cheese lol many pop culture references and even one from Gundam Seed hahaha ! btw thanks for the love and kind words guys**

Rico tried to enjoy himself but he could not deal with the sight of Jo and Tyler together , something about the guy rubbed him the wrong way and it was eating Rico up inside so he decided to head towards the pair until the theatrical Phoebe cut infront of him " Well look at you " she placed her hands on her hips and admired Rico's costume " Oh …. ohhhh " he gulped as he noticed Phoebe was dressed as Jesse " Nice costume " he gives her the thumbs up " Thank you partner , we should dosey doe considering we are 2/4 of Woody's round up… it would be awesome ! " she elbowed his arm " Oh thanks Phoebe …. but that isn't really my thing … besides I'm Woody , not Buzz Lightyear " Phoebe chuckled for a bit before grabbing Rico's arm " I wasn't asking " she pulled him by the arm and dragged him to the dance floor as Tyler and Jo got a good laugh out of the odd pairing " I see what you did there " Jo poked Tyler's nose " Yeah I'm damn good aren't I ? see everybody is gonna have a good Halloween " he laughed as he cuddled Jo.

Back in the hallway of the school Danny and Lacey sat on the staircase after their embrace " That felt good didn't it " Danny asked " .. Yeah …. I needed that " Lacey looked forward and nodded her head " Thanks " she then turned to him and smiled " Hey can I ask you something ? " Danny pulled his messy hair back " Did Archie ever tell you why he stood you up ? " Lacey sighed and held on to her knees " I have no idea why I am about to tell you this … but I am going to and this does not leave this conversation okay " Danny moves in closer to Lacey " I won't tell anybody " Lacey rests her head on her knees which is always a sign of sadness so Danny had to be prepared for Lacey to pour out her emotions " Archie goes out partying … he drinks alot too , and apparently he had a fling with one of the cheerleaders from the rival school " Danny gave Lacey a soft pat on the back " Wow " Lacey snickers " I spoke to him about it and we promised to get through it " she sat her upper body up and looked to Danny " I know he's still seeing her " she shook her head " So let me get this straight , you are well aware he's sneaking around behind your back and you are still sticking by him ? … because " Lacey palms her face and shakes her head " I knew you wouldn't understand " Danny grabs her hand " I'm sorry Lace , please help me understand why you are allowing this guy to walk all over you …. because the Lacey I know would not stand for this " he jerks her arm so she can face him " Danny …. it's not that simple " she tries to fight her tears " You don't understand because you weren't here " Lacey bites her bottom lip . Danny comes to the realization that this is partially his fault , his actions caused Lacey to reinvent herself so that she wouldn't dwell on that incident for the rest of his life " Lace … you are right " he puts his arm around her " I'm so sorry " she rests her head on his shoulder " You know , it's okay to cry infront of me …. you should cry while you are still able to " he cups Lacey's chin to see her face shaking and tears building up " It's okay " he whispered causing her to break down in his arms , all he could do was hold her tighter and let her know that he was by her side for good this time " I'm so sorry Lacey , I never meant to hurt you " he laid a soft kiss on her shoulder and caressed her neck. " I hate you " she began to giggle through her tears " Hey I'm the good guy ! I'm the White Ranger you know " Danny joked causing her to slap his chest " Shut up " she laughed wiping her face " But thank you … I needed to let that out , nobody else would have listened to me " she smiled and took a breath " You don't need to thank me " he grinned " But you know perhaps we should get back inside and enjoy the party … you worked really hard on that you know " he rubbed his knees as Lacey's phone went off " Great " she shook her head " It's Archie … at 8:30 … I guess he finally arrived " she sighed and looked to Danny's brooding expression , he was grilling her wondering if her tears were for nothing " I guess you better take that " Danny stood up and stretched a bit " Danny wait " Lacey tugged on his boot " Wait for me … " she stood up to join Danny before he took off " What's up ? " Lacey smiled and placed her phone back inside of her pocket " I am gonna take a walk outside … do you wanna come ? " she folded her hands and lead the music into Danny's ears " Yeah we can do that " he smiled back " But I'll meet you half way , I have to get something out of my locker … and also we don't want to run into Archie together because then I would have to treat him like a puddie … just meet me in the back of the school " he winked " Sure , see you soon " Lacey waves and heads out to the back as Danny heads to his locker.

Lacey stood outside and waited patiently for Danny to arrive , all she wanted was for the craptastic night to be over when finally she heard his voice " Wow " he said dramatically and Lacey turned to him " Oh my god " Lacey held on to her chest and her stomach in pure joy and happiness " Danny …. " she damn near squealed as he stood there in his street rat Aladdin get up " Somebody had to do it Lace " he approached her and then paused " Oh wait a minute , almost forgot something " he dug into his vest and pulled out the apple that Karen had given him " Just use it as a prop though … because it was in my locker for a little bit so it may taste a little weird " he teased as Lacey ran and hugged him " Danny " she inhaled and then exhaled " I don't even know what to say " she released him and he handed her the apple " Oh and I'm sorry if this was a little creepy … it's just that Jo noticed you and Archie shopping and kinda spilled " he shrugged " Really ? Jo did that ? " she smiled happily " Yeah and I think she drew a little inspiration from you .. just saying " Danny raised his eyebrow and smiled " Wow " Lacey's face cherried up and she receieved another message from Archie , she just looked down at her pocket and then to Danny who's eyes were awaiting hers " Danny ….. " she whispered " Not to be on the cheesey side Lace but .. tell me princess " he grabbed her hands and pulled her closer to him , their contact did not break " When did you last let your heart decide ? " he whispered and placed her hands on his bare chest to feel his beating heart , she before surrending to his charm she teased him " I told you I hate being called that " she said softly as he leaned in closer " You didn't answer my question " he said eagerly awaiting her lips and soon she would answer him with hers. Danny wrapped his arms around Lacey's waist as they shared an intense kiss under the moonlight , Lacey's tragic night had a happy ending afterall.


	8. At The End Of The Night

Following their affectionate moment Danny and Lacey wandered off to the lake hand in hand , not a soul in sight " Where are we going " Lacey giggled as she tighted her grip on Danny's hand " Hanging out " he looked up at her " I'm sorry it's not the school dance or anything but ….. " Lacey pinched his arm and silenced him " Don't worry , I think this is alot better " she smiled " But you worked so hard to make it enjoyable for everybody " Lacey just took a breath " I am sure everybody enjoyed themselves , that was my purpose …. but I was miserable there and I felt somewhat embarrassed that Archie didn't show up " Danny faced her and placed his hands on her shoulder " You feel bad because ….. " Lacey just shrugged and looked down " I'm just tired of people asking questions about our relationship … and I'm tired of all of the whispering everytime I walk by … people know about what he did " Danny begins to caress her face " Well maybe you should do something about it Lace …. because we both know you don't deserve that " she tugs his vest " Is it okay that we are here ? together ? like this ? " she asked and her phone began to ring , of course it was Archie " Oh my god " she gasped and took a step back from Danny " It's Archie again isn't it ? " he shook his head " Just let me answer ….. " Lacey bit her lip and pulled out her phone " Sorry Danny " she looked at him and he appeared to be frustrated " Archie ? " she answered and grabbed hold of her necklace " Where are you ? " she gulped as Danny watched on in a great amount of annoyance " I don't know if I can do that " she looked to Danny " Okay , talk to you later " Lacey rolled her eyes and ended the call with Archie " All good ? " Danny asked as he approached her " Danny …... you need to go home right now " " … Why ? " Danny said jokingly " We can't talk right now , we just need to go " she grabbed his wrist and tried to pull him along " Lacey what is going on " he pulled back " Danny they are trying to prank you again , we need to get you home before they can " Lacey scolded and grabbed his arm " Oh brother , these clowns are at it again ? " he chuckled " It's not funny Danny " Lacey placed her hand on her hip " Calm down Lace " he massaged her arm " Those freaks don't phase me …. come on lets not have our night ruined because of them " he pulls her closer to him " But Danny … they are on a witch hunt " she tried to pull back " So ? they have to find me in order to prank me " Lacey exhaled " I don't want you to get hurt Danny …. " she tried to hold back her tears " You don't have to worry about me " Danny pulled her into his arms " But I can see you have released too many waterworks for one night " he runs his fingers through her side bangs " So I guess we can go " .

Archie along with Scott , Sarita , and Jana were hanging out at the Diner in full costume " So what did Lacey have to say ? " Sarita laughed " She said she couldn't … I guess she was tired ? doesn't matter anyway " he shrugged " When is the last time you guys banged " Scott joked as he rubbed Jana's legs " Don't make people jealous pumpkin " Jana giggled and kissed his cheek " You kidding me man ? Lacey's a prude and she never wants to take it there …. I care about her I wish she would open up " Sarita chuckled " Well if it's that bad then why don't you just cut ties with her and date Bridget ? you seem to enjoy her company " Archie laughs before sipping his water " I can't break up with Lacey Porter without tasting her " he places his cup on the table " That was the plan tonight , I was so sure …. but she's still pissed at me " Jo and Tyler along with Rico and Phoebo walk into the diner " Look at the freak show " Sarita joked as the foursome made their way to the first booth " They all look so sad and pathetic " Scott laughed " Actually they all look more happy than Winona Ryder at a Abercrombie and Fitch with drunken security " she tugged at her blonde bangs which were apart of her Fionna costume " I hate that you are correct " Archie rolled his eyes.

" Does anybody know where Danny went ? " Rico asked " He text me and said he had to leave early , he didn't go into detail though " Jo picked up her menu " Yeah , Lacey disappeared too … I think it had to do with Archie " Phoebe whispered and then chuckled " I never saw Archie tonight , I wonder if he actually stood her up and she took off crying " Tyler rubbed his chin " Lacey wouldn't take off crying , she would probably leave and then cry in private " Jo replied " She's been like that ever since the situation with Danny's aunt " " That is soooo Lacey , it would be really funny if she and Danny left the party together and made out or something " Phoebe joked " Danny and Lacey ? give me a moment to cackle " Rico joined in on the laugh as Archie and company were headed their way " Hush guys , somebody might hear us " Phoebe warned them with eye contact as the jock and prissy group passed them by with chuckles " Wow they look like fun , I wonder what kind of shenanigans they were up to this evening " Phoebe stretched her eyes and then looked into her menu " Mmmhhmmm " Tyler said with sass.

Lacey pulled up infront of Danny's home to drop him off " Thanks Lace " he smiled " Sorry about the unneccessary bickering …. in all seriousness you always know what is best for me , you always have " he nods " Glad you realize that " she teased " Thank you …. for making my night great Danny … I just wish we didn't have to end it " she bit her bottom lip and Danny unbuckled his seat belt " I know " he leans in closer to softley kiss Lacey's cheek " I know you are confused , you don't even have to tell me …. but I will be waiting Lace " he reaches to open the car door when Lacey grabs his shoulder " Danny wait " she said nervously as he turned to her " What is it ? " he asked , Lacey's hand slowly made their way to his neck and she leaned in to capture his lips and leave him with a sweet kiss which lasted about 10 seconds before she released him " Goodnight , handsome prince " and there was that smile that he loved " …. Goodnight Lacey " Danny was grinning from ear to ear as he made his way out of the car and to his doorstep. Lacey smiled and watched him until he was no longer in sight before pulling off.

Finally in his room Danny removed his hat and his vest from his body and yawned before biting his knuckle " God please forgive me for the cheesiness I am about to display in the privacy of my own room " he pulled his hairback and then did a cartwheel on to his bed " YES YES YES " he shouted despite the fact that Karen was sleeping " I know I have been watching way too many Fresh Prince episodes and Disney movies but what a feeling " he laughed to himself and stretched his arms out " Wow … so this is what it feels like to actually love someone " he sighed and looked at the ceiling allowing the cold air from the cracked window to surface his bare chest " I always knew that I loved her … I always knew she was the one … but I am not sure if I deserve her … " he frowned and poked the outside of his belly " Gosh Lacey , I am so greedy for you …. "

Lacey made it back home safe and was still in bliss over her night with Danny Desai after she bathed herself before bed. She brushed her wet hair in the mirror and then Clara barged into her bedroom " Oopsie I guess I should have knocked " she said sarcastically as Lacey just giggled " Aren't you gonna yell at me ? " she asked before noticing Lacey was in some type of bliss " Did Archie sweep you off of your feet tonight ? " she asked as she took a seat on the edge of Lacey's bed " I just had a good time , and that's all you need to know " she grinned " Oh , well that's good I guess " Lacey turned around to grill her younger sister " Are there any guys you have your eye on in school ? " she asked happily " What's it to you ? " she snapped back " Nothing we just never have these kind of talks you know ? come on tell your big sister " she laughed " Well if you insist , you see I have a crush on a guy named Morton … only thing is all of my friends hate him because his family is really weird .. I wanna be his friend but I have no idea what to do because he is very distant " Lacey realized she and Clara were in similar situations , she wanted to offer her younger sister advice but it would be hypocritical of her to advise Clara to give Morton a chance despite what their friends think , she also realized that maybe if she made her feelings for Danny clear when they were younger then maybe things would be different and he wouldn't have killed his aunt " Oh Clara …. just try to talk to him and learn more about him … if you feel the connection then you should make your feelings known " she smiled rubbing her knees " I suppose …. " " You have to learn to stop caring what others think at your age Clara … it will benefit you in the long run " she nodded as she indirectly told Clara not to make the same mistake she did with Danny " Wow sis , that was deep … but I will take it , thanks alot " " Sure , give me a hug " she awaited Clara with open arms " Fine " Clara teased as she embraced her older sister.


	9. First of The Month

Saturday morning was finally here and it was the first of November , which mean it was the pre holiday season.

Lacey woke up to the aroma of pumpkin pancakes which Judy was preparing for her girls.

Clara went into Lacey's room to wake her up but she was already in the bathroom brushing her teeth " Hurry up Lacey or your pancakes are gonna get cold " she shouted into the bathroom door " Nice try , If you touch my food you are gonna regret it " Lacey laughed before wiping her face " I'm coming now " she placed the towel on the rack and opened the door where Clara was waiting for her " Come on let's roll " Clara held on to Lacey's arm and they headed down the stairs and into the kitchen where Clara was just pouring glasses of orange juice " Good morning ladies " Judy smiled " Hey mom " Lacey waved " Wow everything looks delicious " " Well you know it's my November tradition , ever since you were little princesses " Judy took her seat " It's girl time ! " Clara danced in her chair " That it is , and I couldn't ask for a better saturday morning " Judy looked to Lacey and winked " I agree mom " Lacey smiled at the women in her family before reaching for her orange juice " So honey , how was the dance last night ? did you have fun ? " Judy asked as she buttered her pancakes " It was fun … really fun " Lacey's face started to blush up " I couldn't have asked for a better night " " That's what I like to hear darling , good to know no drama occurred with Danny being there and all …. how do you guys get along ? " Lacey placed her fork on the table and took another sip of orange juice " We are okay , I just wish he and Archie didn't fight so much " " Well , Danny was very fond of you growing up so that doesn't come as a surprise … I spoke to Karen for a bit and she said he really misses you " Lacey was caught of guard by Judy's words , it was almost as if she was encouraging Lacey to befriend him once again " Really ? also I had no idea you and Karen were on good terms " " Getting there , I just feel bad for her … it hasn't been an easy 5 years and she appears to be lonely and disturbed … I feel bad for any woman in her position " Clara had a decent portion of breakfast in her belly and decided it was time to head out " Oh mom it's time for my swimming lesson , I'm going to ride my bike today .. good excercise " she smiled " Can I have this wrapped up , I normally don't save my breakfast for later but I can always make time for pumpkin pancakes " Judy smiled " sure dear , just be careful " she said sliding Clara's plate over to her " Thanks mommy see you guys later "

Danny raked the leaves outside of his home to create a clear path , Karen was gone when he woke so he decided to do something nice for her. " All of these leaves , what a struggle " he joked to himself , suddenly his phone rang " Who could that be , this early in the morning ? " Danny brushed his hair aside " A number … that I don't recognize " he said viewing his screen " Welp , I guess that means I'm not picking up " he slid to end the call and placed his phone back into his pocket " Now back to our regulary scheduled progra-" Danny had then received a text message " Oh brother " he released the rake from his hands and allowed it to fall into the pile of leaves " Let's see what's going on " he went for his phone and opened the text message from the same number " The hell …. " the message read " Make sure you don't kill anyone with that rake " Danny looked around to see if anyone was nearby , the sender was obviously watching him but the outside appeared to be empty. Danny just placed his phone back into his pocket and continued clearing the path " Ain't nobody got time for this nonsense " he shook his head when suddenly he heard some leaves crunching behind him and he pause " Answer your phone when I'm calling you , you damn freak " Danny quickly turned around and saw Tim on his mother's property " Oh , hello sir ….. I guess you want me to rake your leaves as well ? that can be arranged but it's gonna cost ya " Danny laughed " You think you are funny boy ? " Tim continued to approach Danny " You threating me ? " Danny backed up and once again released the rake " No sir , just offering some assistance is all " Tim stood and stared at Danny in disguist " Right " he released a glob of brown spit from his mouth and into Danny's grass " Wow sir …. that wasn't very nice " he said in lowkey disguist " I am going to kindly ask you to keep it moving … it's one thing to beef with me but this is my mom's home and you are being disrespectful "

" You getting rowdy ? why don't you come and make me ? " Tim extends his arms " Sir it's way too early in the morning for this , I'm sure there is a nice cup of coffee awaiting you at the donut stand please just go " Danny tries to be reasonable but Tim won't budge " Give me a reason son ! Just give me a reason " Tim shouts " I'll pass , have a blessed day sir " Danny decides to walk away from the situation when Tim grabs him by the back of his shirt " Don't you walk away from me you piece of shit " he yanks him aggressively and causes his to fall to the ground hitting is let arm on the rake " Fuck " Danny screamed as the rake pierced his arm " I hope you liked that " Tim smiled psychotically " Enjoy that rusty rake up inside of your skin boy " he smiled before leaving Danny on the ground in pain. " Too far … " Danny panted as he seperated the rusted metal from his skin " Crap " he shouted and held on to his blooded soaked arm , as tough as he was and his experience in prison Danny knew that this was unacceptable and even he would have to visit a doctor to avoid infection " Danny ? " Karen shouted and dropped the groceries to the ground " Danny ? what happened to you ? " she ran to her son's aid and saw his injury " Oh my goodness … Danny " she looked at his face filled with irritation and pain " I fell over mom , I'll be okay though don't worry " " We are going to the hospital right now , lets go " she helped him up " That's a horrible injury " Karen walked Danny to the car as Clara who witness the whole thing go down on her bicycle watched from around the corner in horror.

Karen waited patiently as Danny received his stitches and to her surprise Jo and Lacey had both showed up to see what was going on " Ladies ? what are you girls doing here ? " Karen asked as the two young ladies approached her " We heard about Danny , is he okay ? " Jo asked " Yes , hes' fine he just cut himself and he is getting stitches now so you girls don't have to worry too much " she smiled " Thank goodness it's nothing life threatening " Jo responded " Can we get you anything ? like a coffee ? "Lacey offered " I am good dear , thank you " she nods " Mrs. Desai , your son is all stitched up and ready to go , you can go see him while we prepare him for discharge " she directs them into the room where Danny is still on his bed barechested " Hey …. oh look a whole party " he smiles as the women head inside " Oh sweetie I am so sorry " Karen kisses Danny's cheek " It's okay mom , better my arm and not my eyeballs " he chuckled " I suppose you are correct " she tries adjusting his hair " Listen I am gonna head to the ladie's room and I'm sure Jo and Lacey will be great company " she smiles at the girls and exits the room " So ….. how did you guys know I was here ? " Danny rocks his legs back and forth " I know that Tim did this to you Danny , Clara saw the whole thing " Lacey crossed her arms " Yeah and Lacey called me … Danny this is not okay … you better press charges " Danny places his hair behind his ear " I can't do that … and you guys have to promise not to say anything " he shrugs " Are you crazy ? " Lacey argued " Just listen to me , first of all Lace I am really sorry that Clara had to witness that ,secondly ….I don't need anymore drama surrounding me and it's Tim's word against mine … just trust me " Jo and Lacey look at each other and then to Danny " Just leave it alone …. it will benefit all of us … especially Clara , she doesn't need to be dragged into this " Lacey rolls her eyes " Fine ! you have my word " " and mine " Jo agrees " Thanks girls … I am glad we could have this conversation " Danny smiled.


	10. Saturday , Cider , & Bonding

Danny had been home from the hospital for a few hours now , he just sat in his room with a ton of emotions running through his head , he was thinking about how to handle Tim and what he was gonna do to protect Clara from what she witnessed earlier in the day. Danny's right arm was still stinging from the fresh stitches , he decided to lay on his back and give Lacey a buzz to check on her and her sister " Lemme give Lacey a buzz " he yawned settling into a comfortable position as he dialed the lady of his dreams .

" Hey Lacey , did I interrupt you ? " Danny asked

" No you didn't …. how is your arm feeling ? " she asked as she went through her jewelry box

" I'm good , thank you for asking … listen I was calling to make sure Clara was alright " he scratched his belly

" Clara is fine , I picked her up from practice so that we could talk about what happened … she was in shock because she thought Tim was one of the nicer guys … thanks for checking in on her Danny " Lacey smiled " For what it's worth , she doesn't think you are all that bad "

" Is that so ? well that's refreshing to hear " Danny laughs

" Seriously Danny , I mean her memories of you are good ones and no one really explained the Tara incident to her … she doesn't understand it .. but in her mind you are a nice guy " Lacey continued to dig through the jewelry box and something caught her eye

" Wow , that means alot Lace … if it's not too much to ask … send her my blessing ? " Danny sounded really adorable and genuine at that moment , Lacey released a chuckle

" Sure Danny " she laughed playfully

" Lace I'm serious … I " he was cut off by Lacey

" Don't worry I know …. I just came across something from back in the day " she held the tiny sea shell bracelet that Danny had given her as a child

" You gonna tell me what it was ? " Danny teased

" It's the sea shell bracelet you gave me …. it's a little chipped after all these years but I still have it " she sighed

Danny tugged at his v-neck collar and smiled endlessly " Wow …. you still have that ? Lace …. "

" Yep , I know you are probably wanna know why I didn't get rid of it after you left "

Danny rubbed his chin " You are correct , but perhaps we can talk about this over some hot cider ? Just as friends ….. "

Lacey gently places the bracelet back into the box " I suppose … " she bites her lip nervously

" Listen Lace , I know you are still with Archie … if you are afraid something is going to happen … then you can invite Clara " he shrugged , he wanted time alone with Lacey but he knew he had to approach her slowly

" I'm not sure if my mom would like that , Clara is one thing but my mom is still very iffy about you " she sighed " Hot cider sounds pleasant , I'm game "

" Coolies , and I know that this is not really a date … it's just making up for lost time , so you choose our destination "

" Do you wanna take a drive to Brooklyn ? Marcy Avenue has the best leaves " Lacey bit her lip smiling " Wow , that's sweet … we can do that if you want "

" It's what I want Danny " Lacey leaned back on her bed " I'll pick you up in about an hour " she smiled

" Sounds like a plan , later Lace " he smiled and ended the call.

Lacey sat her body up and Clara was standing at the door " Clara don't do that you almost scared the mess out of me " Lacey laughed " Sorry Lacey " Clara chuckled and made her way into the room " Were you on the phone with DDAANNNNYYYYYYYY " she teased and plopped on the bed next to her " Were you eavesdropping ? Clara that is rude " she shoved her younger sister " Sorry , I was just teasing because I know you like him … is he okay ? " " Yeah , he's fine … he told me to tell you hello " Lacey nodded " Really ? well tell him I said hello back " Clara smiled " I still can't believe Tim did that … why are people so judgemental ? " Lacey was not surprised by Clara's maturity and awareness , she was infact very proud of her younger sister's ability to think for herself " I don't know Clara , but you don't need to worry about it because Danny is okay … and if you see Tim I want you to walk in the opposite direction from now on " she rubbed Clara's back " Okay ? " " I will Lacey " Clara leans her head on her sister's shoulder " But do you think Danny did that to Regina ? I don't " Lacey exhaled and held her sister close " Between the two of us Clara ? no I don't … but I can't tell everybody that because … it's just a big mess and no one understands and no one is willing to listen " she sighs " I hear you sis , but my ears are always open " she pats Lacey's leg " Well I need to go and see Morton " Clara chuckles and Lacey's mouth drops " Excuse me missy ? " she laughs " Oh I invited him for hot cider today when practice was over … he was very soft spoken and nice " Lacey felt like the proudest big sister in the world and she wanted Clara to experience all of the great things " So you are going on a date ? " Lacey teased " No it's just …... " " Say no more Clara , here " Lacey grabbed her jewelry box and opened it " I want you to wear this " she pulled out a pearl necklace " I wore this the first time I hung out with a guy that I had a crush on , and we are still connected to this day … so I want it to bring you luck it brought me " she put the necklace around Clara's next " Thank you Lacey " Clara hugged her happily " You are very welcome sis , have fun with Morton " she giggled as Clara happily skipped towards the door " I will , thanks ! " she waved goodbye and Lacey watched her wander off happily.

Danny was carefully putting on his cream colored hoodie for his night out with Lacey " Easy easy " he joked as he finally got it over his head " That wasn't so hard " he walked to the mirror to adjust his sweater `" I hope Lacey likes this …. " Danny pretends like he is breaking the 4th wall " You guys know the truth , I gotta look good if I wanna get the girl of my dreams " he then winks into the mirror " Wow I really need to get a hobby " he chuckles and then his phone rings " Who could that be ? " he picks up his phone and it appears to be an anonymous number " Yeah …. I don't think so " he terminates the call knowing it was probably someone trolling him like they did earlier . Danny walked over to his window to admire the leaves changing and the near naked trees , he then spots Clara walking down the lane with her new friend and it was very reminisincent of his days with Lacey when they were younger , also Morton had slightly resembled Danny when he was that age , dark , shaggy hair , and somewhat disturbed

Danny had proper reasoning considering how he was in juvenile hall and constantly fighting for his life. Danny had never met this young man yet he instantly related to him , he could tell that he was happy to be around Clara but he felt unworthy of her affections. Maybe at some point he could step into the big brother role and help Clara's friend try to blend in a little more , he watched the young pals continue down the path and shook his head happily , he also wondered how different things would have been between him and Lacey had he not murdered Tara .


	11. Through The Autumn

Lacey waited in her mother's car for Danny a few blocks down from his home , she tapped the wheel and waited patiently for him to arrive when she spotted Archie and his side piece from a distance . Archie was not the brightest in the bunch especially since he was parading around town with a girl from the rival school , his behavior was beyond insulting to Lacey and she wanted to get out of the car and embarrass him so badly but she knew she couldn't do that for the time being. Lacey felt hurt and betrayed by Archie's cheating ways and at this point all she wanted to him to do was just admit that he didn't want to be with her anymore , she was on the verge of crying when Danny texted that he was on his way to the car. Lacey quickly straightened herself out before Danny could see the sadness in her eyes as Archie and his lady friend were out of sight.

" Knock knock " Danny knocked on Lacey's car window " Ready for our trip to Brooklyn ? " he made his way to the other side and got inside of the car " Sure " Lacey returned a half smile " Really ? you don't seem excited at all " Danny noticed her transparent attitude " Lace ? " he touched her shoulder " I'm okay Danny …. ready to go ? " she asked " Let's roll " Danny sighed and leaned into his seat.

" So Lace…. I saw Clara and her friend Morton earlier " Danny said picking at his upper ear piercing " You know him ? " Lacey asked surprisingly " I never spoke to the kid but I've seen him around , his family is really protective and they don't socialize much … but that poor kid … I just feel bad for him you know ? " Lacey continued to look ahead " Did you ever try talking to him ? " she asked " Nah, I didn't wanna frighten him because he seemed really disturbed … but I think Clara makes him happy " he looks to Lacey and smiles " I'm glad " Lacey giggles " That was her goal and she appears to really like him , I would like to see what he's like " she sighs " You know I don't know what it is about the Porter women that … nevermind " Lacey catches herself about to slip " Are you gonna finish the sentence or what ? " Danny asks " It's nothing ….. " Lacey bites her bottom lip " I just don't know …. what draws us to you dark boys …. " Lacey glimpses at Danny and thinks about her words. " Danny , perhaps you should befriend Morton …. is he an only child ? " she quickly changes the subject " Well " Danny says in disappointment " From what I understand …. no , it's just him and his parents whom I don't think would appreciate a convicted murderer playing big brother to their son " he folds his hands into his lap " What put that into your head Lace ? " Danny asked " I don't know , I thought maybe he just needed some guidance " she shrugged and continued to drive " Well I'm not sure if I am the one to guide him … but I wouldn't mind befriending the little guy " he scratched his nose and Lacey smiled at him " You two would probably get along really well " she nodded .

Danny took some time to admire Lacey's beauty as they drove through a lane of orange and yellow , he knew that it would take time for her to come around to him but he figured he would check in on her and Archie " So …. you make up with Archie yet ? " he asked " We never had an argument … I think you meant to ask if he was still seeing Barbie and the answer is yes " she sucked her teeth " Lace …. why won't you drop this guy ? " he asked in frustration " He's not very loyal boyfriend " Lacey rolled her eyes into her hands and sighed " I don't know what I am going to do Danny …. because I am very confused " she gulped " I don't know what I want …. " Lacey pulled over the car " Why did you stop ? " Danny asked as Lacey stretched in her seat and then took a breather " Danny , where do you think we would be right now had you not gone to Juvenile hall ? " Danny's eyes stretched at Lacey's words and the sadness in her eyes , he was not prepared for that at all " Lace … I have no idea how to answer that …. but I often wonder about it " he takes her hand " I like to believe that we would be going strong … I'm sorry I ruined that " Danny felt Lacey's hand shaking " Do you need to cry again ? " Lacey turned to Danny and shook her head " No …. " Danny massaged her wrist quickly " Fine " he knew she was lying to him but as always he respected her space " I'm sorry for stopping like that , we need to hurry up before sundown " she smiled " Well are you sure you can continue ? " Danny was deeply concerned for Lacey " Yeah I'm okay , just so much on my mind … thanks Danny " she winked her eye and continues to move forward.

" I noticed you are in your mother's car …. what gives ? " he asked " My car is in the shop , I dented it earlier after I dropped Jo off " she gulped " Wow …. were you in harm's way ? " Danny expressed more concern " I didn't get hurt , just some jerk was out of control and caused a huge mess , not a big deal " Lacey shrugged " Thanks for checking on me though " Danny moved his hair from his face " Anytime Lace ….. " Danny responded with suspicion in his voice , maybe he was overthinking things and being overprotective of the girl he loved but could someone have tried to harm Lacey because she knew how Danny got injured ? that was the first thought that entered his mind " So , about these leaves , soon the trees will be in the nude " " Yep ! it's such a beautiful sight , I remember when me you and Jo used to collect the pretty ones and create the best collages in class " Lacey laughed " Those were the good ol days " Danny nodded his head " I remember our presentation in 5th grade too , I'll never forget that orange dress your mom made you wear " " I hated that dress Danny and I was upset that my mother made me put it on " she cringed playfully " Well … I was too shy to tell you then , but I thought you looked great " Danny rubs his chin and chuckles " Really ? " Lacey begins to blush " You know I did … don't get me wrong I was drawn to tomboy Lacey more than anything but you were always like a shining star to me … Lace when I returned to school and saw the woman you've become … " Danny pauses as Lacey keeps her eye on the road " Danny ! " Lacey sighs and pulls over once again , this time she wipes the sweat off of her forehead and then turns to Danny " Lace , let me finish before you chew my head off " he takes her hand once again " I know you probably think I'm pouring my heart out for my own gain … but last night was everything to me … everything I ever hoped and dreamed for " Lacey's meet his and her body begins to tense " I know …. me too Danny … " she bites her lip " So then what is holding us back ? " Danny leans into her " Everything … I just don't understand myself right now , please don't take it personal " she exhales as Danny leans back in disappointment " I understand Lace , don't worry ".

Danny tugged at his seatbelt when he sees a Boy Meets World dvd underneath Lacey's seat " Hey , I see your mom is a fan of Boy Meets World " he points at the dvd " What is that doing under there ? " Lacey picks up the dvd " Oh this must be one of Clara's birthday presents , she loves this show … as did I growing up " " Can I see that ? " Danny asks " Sure , knock yourself out " Lacey hands Danny the box set " Season 2 , very important in the series " he nods " Really ? I always liked season 3 because that was when Cory and Topanga established their relationship you know ? " Lacey smiles at Danny " Yeah but things were budding between them in season 2 … like remember that one episode where Topanga put that really epic quote in the yearbook ? and then Cory told her to put the same for him ? " Lacey taps the wheel and her skin begins to cherry up once again as she understands the message Danny is trying to send , she gathered that he was subtly admitting to waiting for her " You mean the Frederick E Pearl quote … right ? " she nods " Yeah … but I can't seem to remember it " Danny's sad tone pierces Lacey's soul " Neither can I …. " she gulps in guilt " We should get moving again …. sorry for stopping " once again Lacey starts the car and continues their journey to Williamsburg.


End file.
